2025-26 Negotiated Rulemaking AHEAD

As the Primary Negotiator representing student veterans, servicemembers, their families, and the veterans service organizations that support them, I serve as the designated representative for the military-affiliated constituency in the U.S. Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking on Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-Driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD). In this role, I am responsible for conveying the perspectives and interests of military-connected learners, evaluating proposed regulatory language, and engaging in structured negotiations with other constituencies and the Department to develop consensus-based recommendations for regulatory changes governing Title IV federal student aid programs.

During the first session of the AHEAD committee, negotiators successfully reached consensus on the Workforce Pell Grant framework, establishing eligibility, program design, and guardrails intended to expand access to short-term workforce programs while maintaining statutory alignment and program integrity. My work during this phase focused on ensuring that the final consensus language accounted for the unique enrollment patterns, funding sources, and outcomes of military-affiliated students, including those who rely on a combination of Title IV aid and veterans’ education benefits.

The committee is now engaged in its second session, which addresses accountability measures for institutions participating in Title IV programs. This phase of negotiations centers on institutional responsibility, performance metrics, and consumer protections tied to federal funding. As Primary Negotiator, I am actively assessing how proposed accountability frameworks intersect with military-connected students’ pathways and advocating for regulatory approaches that promote transparency and institutional accountability without creating unintended barriers or distortions for student veterans, servicemembers, and their families.